Accessory for stringed instruments of the violin and viola type



June 23, 1964 1, TEVIS 3,138,050

ACCESSORY FOR STRINGED INSTRUMENTS OF THE VIOLIN AND VIOLA TYPE Filed June 20, 1962 /0a 40 1 gay. 2.

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United States Patent 3,138,050 ACCESSORY FOR STRINGED INSTRUMENTS OF THE VIOLIN AND VIOLA TYPE Irving Edward Tevis, 4266 Penn, Kansas City, Mo. Filed June 20, 1962, Ser. No. 203,995 4 Claims. (Cl. S4278) This invention relates to improvements in accessories for stringed instruments which are positioned at the shoulder of the musician when played and refers more particularly to an attachment or rest for violins and Violas to prevent slipping, sliding or displacement while held in a playing position.

In the use of musical instruments of the class of violins and violas a common and often experienced difiiculty and aggravation is the sliding or displacement of the instrument from its position on the shoulder during the travers ing of the bow across the strings or in manipulation of the strings by the fingers at the finger board.

An object of the present invention, therefore, is to provide a device that can be readily and easily attached to the lower enlarged tonal portion of the conventional instrument body in the vicinity of the chin rest which is shaped to fit against a musicians neck so pressure imposed by. the hand supporting the instrument holds it firmly in position.

Another object is to provide a kidney-shaped neck rest, one edge of which is contoured to conform with the rib of the instrument body and attached to the body by a flexible strap, one end of which is fastened to the tail piece anchoring button, the other to an adjacent corner of one of the instruments bouts.

A further object is to provide a lobular member consisting of a neck rest which, by means of a flexible strap and curved abutment strip is easily attached and holds the rest against vertical or longitudinal displacement relative to the instrument body.

Other and further objects will appear from the description which follows.

In the accompanying drawings which form a part of the instant specification and are to be read in conjunction therewith, and in which like reference numerals are used to indicate like parts in the various views:

FIG. 1 is a face view of an instrument with the neck rest accessory attached.

FIG. 2 is an edge view of the instrument shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along the line 3-3 in FIG. 1 in the direction of the arrows.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along the line 4--4 in FIG. 3 in the direction of the arrows.

In the drawings, wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown a typical embodiment of the invention, and particularly FIG. 1, numeral designates a violin top having an upper tonal section 10a and a lower tonal section 10b equipped with conventional string mounting accessories, including finger board 11, strings 12, bridge 13, tail piece 14 and anchor button 15 and fastening loop 15a.

The body of the instrument shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 comprises the top 10, a bottom 16 and a narrow intermediate rib 17 uniting the top and bottom along their lateral edges. Centrally of the body are (t-shaped constrictions 18 called bouts, terminating or merging into the upper and lower sections of the body at corners 19.

The neck rest appendage comprises a kidney-shaped block or hollow member 20 having the side or edge abutting the rib 17 shaped to conform with the curvature of the instrument body while that side 20a or edge which rests against the neck is contoured to comfortably fit the musician.

To mount the rest 20 on the instrument there is provided a flexible strap 21, one end 21a of which is apertured to slip over the tail piece anchoring button 15, the opposite end 21b equipped to receive an elastic loop 22 which is attached to the end of the strap and is looped around an adjacent corner 19 of the body. Beneath the rest is a threaded hole into which is screwed a flat head i screw and washer 23 by which a conventional type shoulder pad 24 is attached to the member 20.

To hold the rest snugly against the rib of the instrument and prevent vertical or horizontal displacement while the instrument is played there is provided an abutment or enclosure strip 25 shaped to the curvature of the instrument rib and mounted on the abutting edge of member 2%. This abutment strip 25 and pads 26 not only serve to prevent displacement of the rest appendage 20 but eliminate any interference the rest attachment might have with true sound transmission of the instrument and possible effects upon its tonal qualities. The length and width of the strip 25 corresponds substantially to the length and width of the abutting side of the rest member 20 and the width of the rib. Before aflixing strip 25 to member 29 the curved abutting surface of member 20 is rabbeted out or milled to form a shallow channel 20]) extending the length of its surface. This channel is formed to receive the fastening strap 21 by which the rest member is attached to the body of the instrument. After the intermediate or central portion 21c of the strap 21 is placed in the channel the abutment strip 25 is then fixedly attached to the ridges or lands 20c paralleling the channel, covering the strap and positioning the strip between the rib and the rest member When said member is mounted on the instrument. Attached to strip 25 are cushions or friction pads 26.

To further prevent movement and displacement of the rest member upon the instrument body there is provided a pressure or friction imposing means within the body of the rest member centrally of the fastening strap 21. This pressure imposing means comprises a spring actuated plunger having an enlarged head 27, a stem 28 and compression spring 29. The body of the rest member 20 is recessed to receive this plunger by drilling a hole centrally of the curved abutting surface having a diameter slightly greater than the diameter of the plunger. Into the bottom of this hole is drilled a second deeper hole of smaller diameter which receives stem 28 when the head 27 is depressed against the force of the compression spring 29. This pressure imposing means is assembled in the rest member prior to placing strap 21 in its channel and before enclosure strip 25 is attached to the rest member.

To assemble the device after the rest member 20 has been formed the channel milled and the concentric holes drilled for the pressure plunger, spring 29 is placed upon the stem 28 and the plunger inserted in its well. Upon insertion of the plunger, spring 29 is compressed and while depressed fastening strap 21 is placed in the channel and strip 25 affixed to member 20 covering the strap. The strap is now slidable lengthwise beneath strip 25 subject to the friction engagement imposed by the plunger head 27. Thus when the rest member 20 is attached to the instrument, plunger 27 actuated by spring 29 pinches the fastening strap between the head 27 and strip 25 to hold the rest against displacement on the instrument body. Shoulder pad 24 may then be attached beneath member 20 by the screw and washer 23.

To mount the rest member upon the instrument the apertured end of strap 21 is slipped over button 15 and strip 25 now aflixed to member 20 is applied to the rib 17 so the cushion pads 26 constitute the principal contacting surfaces. The elastic loop on the opposite end of the strap is then hooked onto an adjacent corner 19 of the instrument. Thus the fastening strap holds the device firmly against the instrument body and immovable against pressure imposed during playing of the instrument. To adjust the lobular appendage 20 to a proper location it is only necessary to lift it slightly from the instrument by extension of elastic cord 22, then slide the member along the strap in either direction to the position desired and replace it against the rib of the instrument.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the invention is well adapted to attain all of the ends and objects hereinbefore set forth, together with other advantages which are obvious and which are inherent to the structure.

It will be understood that certain features and subcombinations are of utility and may be employed without reference to other features and subcombinations. This is contemplated by and is within the scope of the claims.

As many possible embodiments may be made of the invention Without departing from the scope thereof it is to be understood that all matter herein set forth or shown in the drawings is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

I 1, A neck rest for musical instruments of the class of violins and Violas which have front, back and rib portions with string mounting accessories, including a neck and finger board, a tail piece and an anchoring button affixed to the rib midway between the corners of the lower tonal section for attachment of the tail piece, comprising a rigid lobular' kidney-shaped member removably mounted on the rib of the instrument along its lower fortably fit about the neck of a player of the instrument, a fastening strap extending longitudinally of the rib abutting edge of the rest,

one end of said strap attached to the anchoring button, the other end to a corner of the lower tonal section of the instrument,

whereby possibility of displacement of the instrument from its normal playing position on the neck and shoulder of a player is substantially reduced.

2. A rest as in claim 1, with a shallow channel rabbeted lon itudinally of the curved rib abutting edge of said rest,

a fastening strap in said channel, one end attached to the anchoring button, the other end to a corner of the lower tonal section of the instrument.

3. A rest as in claim 1, with a shallow channel rabbeted longitudinally of the curved rib abutting edge of said rest,

a fastening strap in said channel, one end attached to the anchoring button, the otheriend to a corner of the lower tonal section of the instrument,

an enclosure strip spanning the lands of said channel interposed between the strap and rib.

4. A rest as in claim 3, with a spring'actuated pressure imposing means in the rest member centrally of its rib abutting side adapted to frictionally engage the strap against the enclosure strip.

References Cited in the file of'this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 858,587 Ehlenz July 2, 1907 1,156,925 Poehland Oct. 19, 1915 1,742,305 Connell Jan. 7, 1930 1,945,162 Rasmussen Jan. 30, 1934 2,558,893 Wolff July 3, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS 64,911 Netherlands n. Dec. 15, 1949 

1. A NECK REST FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS OF THE CLASS OF VIOLINS AND VIOLAS WHICH HAVE FRONT, BACK AND RIB PORTIONS WITH STRING MOUNTING ACCESSORIES, INCLUDING A NECK AND FINGER BOARD, A TAIL PIECE AND AN ANCHORING BUTTON AFFIXED TO THE RIB MIDWAY BETWEEN THE CORNERS OF THE LOWER TONAL SECTION FOR ATTACHMENT OF THE TAIL PIECE, COMPRISING A RIGID LOBULAR KIDNEY-SHAPED MEMBER REMOVABLY MOUNTED ON THE RIB OF THE INSTRUMENT ALONG ITS LOWER TONAL SECTION, THE RIB ABUTTING EDGE OF SAID MEMBER CURVED TO CONFORM WITH THE EXTERIOR CURVATURE OF THE RIB, THE NECK ABUTTING EDGE OF SAID MEMBER CURVED TO COMFORTABLY FIT ABOUT THE NECK OF A PLAYER OF THE INSTRUMENT, A FASTENING STRAP EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY OF THE RIB ABUTTING EDGE OF THE REST, ONE END OF SAID STRAP ATTACHED TO THE ANCHORING BUTTON, THE OTHER END TO A CORNER OF THE LOWER TONAL SECTION OF THE INSTRUMENT, WHEREBY POSSIBILITY OF DISPLACEMENT OF THE INSTRUMENT FROM ITS NORMAL PLAYING POSITION ON THE NECK AND SHOULDER OF A PLAYER IS SUBSTANTIALLY REDUCED. 